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Full Report for 12/19/2008
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Dave Grohl Trashes Metallica and Guns N' Roses- AC/DC Still Sellouts- Over a Billion Songs Served- Why Simon Cowell's Opinion Doesn't Matter- Thrice Box and more
antiMusic reports: Slow news days now that we are approaching Christmas but there is still a little going on. So while the Day in Rock is shorter than normal, we still have plenty to tell you about. Here is today's quicks:

TMZ stalkerazi's caught up with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl where he proceeded to trash not only Metallica but the new Guns N' Roses CD. Watch it here

Tickets for a concert by hard rock band AC/DC in Vienna sold out within minutes on Wednesday. The concert is set for May 24 at the 50,000-capacity Ernst Happel stadium where the final of the Euro 2008 football tournament was held in June, and promoters are said to be considering a second concert in the Austrian capital.more They also sold out their Scottish concert at Hampden Park on June 30, 2009 in just 75 minutes. more

Over a billion digital full tracks have been sold in 2008, up 28% over 2007, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures released today more

Billboard reports that the Doors documentary "When You're Strange" will premiere Jan. 17 at the Sundance Film Festival. more

Simon Cowell says he wants Britney Spears to appear as a mentor on the eighth series of American Idol. The 'Circus' star recently performed on the UK's Pop Idol (a show also run by Cowell) and now the pop mogul is hoping she'll use her experience in the music biz to help contestants. more

After spending most of 2007 and 2008 working on side projects, the members of Alexisonfire will be regrouping in 2009 to record their as-yet untitled fourth album.more

Thrice has unveiled plans for a limited edition vinyl box set edition of their recent four EP cycle, The Alchemy Index. Due February 17, 2009, the vinyl box set is limited to 3000 numbered copies and will feature The Alchemy Index: Volumes I & II: Fire & Water and The Alchemy Index: Volumes III & IV: Air & Earth pressed on four EPs. more

Who doesn't want free music? Priding themselves on making "alt rock for kids that won't drive the adults crazy," Atlanta based musical trio The Baby Grands has found a unique way of teaching children about the joy and goodness of sharing while celebrating the recent release of their self-titled debut on the new indie label Backspace Records: giving themselves away! Well, almost. Actually, they're giving away free downloads of three songs from The Baby Grands to anyone who emails a request to [email protected] before February 1, 2009.

Lily Allen has a new video game on her website. Escape the Fear Game can be accessed here

the bird and the bee, the irrepressible L.A. duo made up of singer Inara George and keyboardist/producer Greg Kurstin, will be premiering the video for "Love Letter to Japan" � the lead single from their forthcoming album Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future � Friday, December 19 on MySpace

Paul Simon and Christopher Guest have been appointed to the board of trustees of Boston's Berklee College of Music. "this one goes to 11!" more

Lower Definition has dropped off the remainder of their current tour. The band has issued the following statement: "We've been having countless van problems throughout the last months worth of shows. We are always the band with the oldest van on all of our tours and after putting on over 80k miles on the van, it just begins to crap out and we have to repair it constantly." more

Protest the Hero have begun work on their first DVD. The Canadian band will be filming their performance at the dge Electric Christmas/ Underground Operations Ho! Down" on December 18 at the Sound Academy more

Brian Eno is reportedly set to provide the score for the newest movie from 'Lord Of The Rings' director Peter Jackson. Exciting news until you learn that Susan Sarandon stars in it. more

March 2009 sees the release of Thin Lizzy's 'Still Dangerous,' the real Live & Dangerous! Still Dangerous' is being pimped as the raw, unadulterated, untouched sound of Thin Lizzy at the absolute height of their power. more

Bassist Rob Hakemo of M.A.N � the group formed out of the ashes of Sweden's Transport League (featuring former Mnemic frontman Tony Jelencovich) � underwent "gallstone" surgery at the �stra hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden on Tuesday, December 16. more

The first three Deep Purple reunion albums � "Perfect Strangers" (1984), "The House Of Blue Light" (1987) and "Nobody's Perfect" (1988) � will get the SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) treatment in paper sleeve editions. more

Clutch will be touring early next year with side-band The Bakerton Group as well as Willem Maker and Red Fang. Initial dates can be found - here

More on Foo Fighters - Foo+Fighters" >Foo Fighters CDs -

U2 Set CD Release
PR reports: No Line On The Horizon, the new studio album from U2, will be released in North America on Tuesday, March 3, 2009.

Written and recorded in various locations, No Line On The Horizon is the group's 12th studio album and is their first release since the nine million selling album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, released in late 2004.
- more on this story

More on U2 - U2" >U2 CDs -

Coldplay Admit Song Theft
Launch reports: Coldplay's Chris Martin has admitted that the band's 2000 single "Shiver" was essentially a Jeff Buckley ripoff.

The star was speaking on the Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 today (December 18) when he made the admission.

"It's a blatant Jeff Buckley attempt," he told Moyles. "Not quite as good, that's what I think. We were 21 and he was very much a hero, and as with those things it tends to filter through." - more on this story

More on Chris Martin - Chris+Martin" >Chris Martin CDs -

Stripper Idol Under Fire From American Idol
TMZ reports: The people behind "American Idol" love amateurs -- just not the kind you find in strip clubs. FremantleMedia -- the massive corporation that created "American Idol" -- is suing the owners of the Palazio Men's Club in Texas -- which the suit describes as "a gentlemen's club at which women remove off their clothes while dancing to music" -- over a $500 stripper competition they held called "Stripper Idol."

In the lawsuit, filed this week in U.S District Court in Texas, Fremantle claims Palazio's competition -- which allegedly jacked Idol's name and trademarked logo -- has tarnished the singing show's good name.

Fremantle is looking to strip away the club's profits from "S.I." -- along with collecting on all damages sustained and legal fees accrued from the suit. - more on this story

More on American Idol - American+Idol" >American Idol CDs -

AC/DC Singer Releasing Book
antiMusic reports: AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson has inked new deal with Penguin Books to release a collection of thoughts and anecdotes he has jotted down over the years: He discussed it in a recent interview: "I like humor a lot, and cars have been a big part of my life. I'm lucky enough that I'm able to buy some of the exotic ones. Instead of doing drugs, I did motorcars. I'm not sure which one is more expensive.

"There's one story about me buying my first car, a Ford 100E. It was a rust bucket, obviously. I got in the car and drove about 100 yards and the seat went through the floor. I sat there on the road, and the guy who had sold it to me said '(Bleep), you've just fallen through the (bleeping) floor. Ahhhh, you should've checked that before you took it, me son.' That was me first hard lesson in motorcars."

"I took my first girlfriend out to a place called Shield Field. I had a Ford Popular. It was horrible. It was beige on the outside with a salmon pink interior. It was very old-fashioned, certainly not a chick magnet, but it was all I could afford. - more on this story

More on AC/DC - AC/DC" >AC/DC CDs -

Docs Warn Headbanging Danger To Your Health
Launch reports: Medical experts in Australia have warned that headbanging is likely to be behind a silent epidemic of head- and neck-related injuries.

Dr. Andrew McIntosh, biomedical and injury expert at the University Of New South Wales, carried out research into headbanging, and published his findings in the British Medical Journal.

McIntosh issued a stark warning to music fans who headbang. "We identified a definite risk of mild traumatic brain injury from headbanging," he said. "We would suggest a proper public health warning, as for smoking." - more on this story

More on Quiet Riot - Quiet+Riot" >Quiet Riot CDs -

Van Morrison Returns to EMI For New Release
EMI reports: Van Morrison has returned to EMI Music, with a live recording slated for release in early 2009. The album marks the first record to be issued on Morrison's own label, Listen To The Lion Records, which will be distributed worldwide by EMI.

The album captures the widely-acclaimed live performance Morrison gave at the venerable Hollywood Bowl in November, which featured a breathtaking recreation of the "Astral Weeks" album. - more on this story

More on Van Morrison - Van+Morrison" >Van Morrison CDs -

Metermaids VS. Sufjan Stevens
PR reports: The Metermaids are a duo that teeters on the edge of multiple genres. Mixing elements of hip-hop, expansive songwriting, slick pop instrumentals and exceptional lyrics, the duo creates imaginative songs that push and warp boundaries. On their latest effort, Nightlife in Illinoise EP, Metermaids take a bold step into the realm of mashups.

Following in the footsteps of Girl Talk and Dangermouse, Sentence and Swell decided to mix two radically different pieces of music. In Nightlife in Illinoise, the duo remix songs from Sufjan's Stevens's critically acclaimed album Illinoise with beats and a cappellas from the Metermaid's debut album Nightlife. The result is a lush album that highlights the strange folky eccentricities of Stevens and the earnest lyrics and creative production of the Metermaids.

The EP is available for free at the Official Metermaids website. Swell from Metermaids was excited to re-invent the music of Stevens, stating, "Sufjan Stevens's album Illinoise is one of a handful of albums that changed the way I think about music� The wonderful part about this project, at least to me, was that it gave new life to not only our material, but also gave me a renewed appreciation for Illinoise as well; hopefully the same will be true for anyone who hears it." - Download it here

More on Metermaids - Metermaids" >Metermaids CDs -

Tommy Bolin Story Touched By Magic
PR reports: To many, Tommy Bolin was the legitimate heir to Jimi Hendrix's rock guitar throne. Stints with the James Gang and Deep Purple � as well as solo albums and a groundbreaking release with jazz-rocker Billy Cobham � certainly proved that the adulation was rightly deserved. And with a techno-color fashion sense, he certainly stood out from the pack. Only one problem, Tommy had a death-defying drug addiction, which ultimately would lead to a premature and tragic end - before he was able to truly take his standing among the elite musicians of the world. 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story' is the first book to focus entirely on the life story of Tommy Bolin � compiled from nearly 50 exclusive interviews (including family, friends, and band members that played alongside Tommy throughout the years), and featuring many never-before-seen photos. - more on this story

More on Tommy Bolin - Tommy+Bolin" >Tommy Bolin CDs -

The Wailers To Ring In 2009 On The Sunset Strip
PR reports: Recognized worldwide as the only group still capable of delivering Bob Marley's message of peace, love and equality, The Wailers will be ringing in the New Year as only they can, with a gig at The Roxy in Los Angeles December 31.

The date will be one of the first on the group's winter "Exodus" tour, named after the classic 1977 Wailers album which they will be playing in its entirety, including such hits as "Jammin'," "Waiting in Vain," and "One Love." They will be joined by several surprise guests. - more on this story

More on Wailers - Wailers" >Wailers CDs -

Hot Chip with Robert Wyatt and Geese EP
PR reports: "Hot Chip with Robert Wyatt and Geese" EP will released through Limited Edition CD on January 27 at select indie record shops (visit www.thinkindie.com to find a store near you). Fans can download 2 tracks from the EP on from HotChip.co.uk on December 19, thus providing a stimulus that is musical and financial for us all.

Despite their feverish schedule this year which took in numerous side projects, solo records, countless dancefloor-igniting remixes, production duties and, of course relentless touring (which culminated in their triumphal homecoming shows at Brixton Academy in November) that indefatigable, delightfully off-kilter five-headed electro pop colossus known as Hot Chip have somehow found the time to assemble a lovingly put together little present for their fans. And not only that, but they have managed to rope in the services of none other than the godfather of the experimental psych-prog world, Robert Wyatt and kindred mischievous electronic spirits Geese to help out as well. - more on this story

More on Hot Chip - Hot+Chip" >Hot Chip CDs -

T.I. Tops Single Chart
PR reports: T.I. has put the finishing touch on his incredible 2008 by hitting #1 on the CHR/Top 40 with the blockbuster single, "Live Your Life (Feat. Rihanna)." The track continues the ATL-based superstar's seemingly endless streak of chart-toppers, highlighted by the RIAA platinum certified #1 album, "Paper Trail."

In addition to its success at CHR/Top 40, "Live Your Life" is also currently sitting pretty atop the Rhythmic airplay chart for the fourth consecutive week, followed at #2 by T.I.'s own "Whatever You Like," the RIAA 2x platinum certified first single from "PAPER TRAIL." The latter held the #1 position for nine straight weeks before ceding the top spot to "Live Your Live," giving T.I. sole possession of #1 for 13 consecutive weeks. - more on this story

More on T.I. - T.I.+" >T.I. CDs -

Singled Out: Arden Kaywin
antiMusic reports: Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today Arden Kaywin us about "Let It Go" from the brand new album "The Elephant In The Room". We now turn it over to Arden for the story:

"Let It Go" was actually one of the last songs I wrote for my new album '.' It's funny how songs come into being in so many different ways. At the time, I was working with my co-writer/producer Eve Nelson on some music to submit for a TV show. They were looking for female driven quirky pop songs, so Eve and I scheduled a session to write something for that. We ended up being so in love with the song we created that I kept it for my album and we bailed on selling it to the TV show. The song was "Let It Go" and it became my single.

This is how it went down. . . . .I had been playing around with a new piano riff that I really liked and I'd come into the session that afternoon with the chords and vocal line for what eventually became the verse of "Let It Go". At that point though, I was thinking of it more as a chorus and I didn't really have any ideas for a verse yet. So Eve and I spent a few minutes tossing around our thoughts when she had the brilliant idea that we make the original riff the verse, and come up with a new chorus. Eve sat down at the piano next to me and started to jam until we found the right chords for the chorus. It happened really quickly. My memory of this song is that it kind of wrote itself. We only spent about 3hrs in the studio that day and by the time I left, we had the basic arrangement and production elements of the track all dialed in. I went home with a disc to spend some time thinking about melody line and lyrics.

- read the rest of this song story

More on Arden Kaywin - Arden+Kaywin" >Arden Kaywin CDs -

. The Top 25 Albums of 2008
antiMusic's Special Features Editor Tony Kuzminski counts down his picks for the Top 25 albums of 2008 and tells us exactly why he picked each one. See what you may have missed this year! - Read the full The Top 25 Albums of 2008 review

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